Epistle XXII.169    Oxford ed.: Ep. xxvii. a.d. 250.

To the Clergy Abiding at Rome, Concerning Many of the Confessors, and Concerning the Forwardness of Lucian and the Modesty of Celerinus the Confessor.

Argument.—In This Letter Cyprian Informs the Roman Clergy of the Seditious Demand of the Lapsed to Be Restored to Peace, and of the Forwardness of Lucian. In Order that They May Better Understand These Matters, Cyprian Takes Care that Not Only His Own Letters, But Also Those of Celerinus and Lucian, Should Be Sent to Them.

1. Cyprian to the presbyters and deacons abiding at Rome, his brethren, greeting. After the letters that I wrote to you, beloved brethren, in which what I had done was explained, and some slight account was given of my discipline and diligence, there came another matter which, any more than the others, ought not to be concealed from you. For our brother Lucian, who himself also is one of the confessors, earnest indeed in faith, and robust in virtue, but little established in the reading of the Lord’s word, has attempted certain things, constituting himself for a time an authority for unskilled people, so that certificates written by his hand were given indiscriminately to many persons in the name of Paulus; whereas Mappalicus the martyr, cautious and modest, mindful of the law and discipline, wrote no letters contrary to the Gospel, but only, moved with domestic affection for his mother,170    Some read, “his mother and sisters, who had fallen.” who had fallen, commanded peace to be given to her. Saturninus, moreover, after his torture, still remaining in prison, sent out no letters of this kind. But Lucian, not only while Paulus was still in prison, gave everywhere in his name certificates written with his own hand, but even after his decease persisted in doing the same things under his name, saying that this had been commanded him by Paulus, ignorant that he must obey the Lord rather than his fellow-servant. In the name also of Aurelius, a young man who had undergone the torture, many certificates were given, written by the hand of the same Lucian, because Aurelius did not know how to write himself.

2. In order, in some measure, to put a stop to this practice, I wrote letters to them, which I have sent to you under the enclosure of the former letter, in which I did not fail to ask and persuade them that consideration might be had for the law of the Lord and the Gospel. But after I sent my letters to them, that, as it were, something might be done more moderately and temperately; the same Lucian wrote a letter in the name of all the confessors, in which well nigh every bond of faith, and fear of God, and the Lord’s command, and the sacredness and sincerity of the Gospel were dissolved. For he wrote in the name of all, that they had given peace to all, and that he wished that this decree should be communicated through me to the other bishops, of which letter I transmitted a copy to you. It was added indeed, “of whom the account of what they have done since their crime has been satisfactory;”—a thing this which excites a greater odium against me, because I, when I have begun to hear the cases of each one and to examine into them, seem to deny to many what they now are all boasting that they have received from the martyrs and confessors.

3. Finally, this seditious practice has already begun to appear; for in our province, through some of its cities, an attack has been made by the multitude upon their rulers, and they have compelled that peace to be given to them immediately which they all cried out had been once given to them by the martyrs and confessors. Their rulers, being frightened and subdued, were of little avail to resist them, either by vigour of mind or by strength of faith. With us, moreover, some turbulent spirits, who in time past were with difficulty governed by me, and were delayed till my coming, were inflamed by this letter as if by a firebrand, and began to be more violent, and to extort the peace granted to them. I have sent a copy to you of the letters that I wrote to my clergy about these matters, and, moreover, what Caldonius, my colleague, of his integrity and faithfulness wrote, and what I replied to him. I have sent both to you to read. Copies also of the letter of Celerinus, the good and stout confessor, which he wrote to Lucian the same confessor—also what Lucian replied to him,—I have sent to you; that you may know both my labour in respect of everything, and my diligence, and might learn the truth itself, how moderate and cautious is Celerinus the confessor, and how reverent both in his humility and fear for our faith; while Lucian, as I have said, is less skilful concerning the understanding of the Lord’s word, and by his facility, is mischievous on account of the dislike that he causes for my reverential dealing. For while the Lord has said that the nations are to be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and their past sins are to be done away in baptism; this man, ignorant of the precept and of the law, commands peace to be granted and sins to be done away in the name of Paulus; and he says that this was commanded him by Paulus, as you will observe in the letter sent by the same Lucian to Celerinus, in which he very little considered that it is not martyrs that make the Gospel, but that martyrs are made by the Gospel;171    [A Cyprianic aphorism applicable to the “The Fathers.”] since Paul also, the apostle whom the Lord called a chosen vessel unto Him, laid down in his epistle:  “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”172    Gal. i. 6–9. [Applicable to the new Marian dogma.]

4. But your letter, which I received, written to my clergy, came opportunely; as also did those which the blessed confessors, Moyses and Maximus, Nicostratus, and the rest, sent to Saturninus and Aurelius, and the others, in which are contained the full vigour of the Gospel and the robust discipline of the law of the Lord. Your words much assisted me as I laboured here, and withstood with the whole strength of faith the onset of ill-will, so that my work was shortened from above, and that before the letters which I last sent you reached you, you declared to me, that according to the Gospel law, your judgment also strongly and unanimously concurred with mine. I bid you, brethren, beloved and longed-for, ever heartily farewell.

EPISTOLA XXII. (Pamel., XXIII. Rigalt., Baluz., Paris., XXII. Oxon., Lips., XXVII.)AD CLERUM ROMAE CONSISTENTEM, DE MULTIS CONFESSORIBUS ET DE LUCIANI INVERECUNDIA ET CELERINI CONFESSORIS MODESTIA.

ARGUMENTUM.---His litteris Cyprianus Clerum Romanum certiorem reddit de seditiosa lapsorum postulatione, ut ad pacem restituerentur et de inverecundia 0282BLuciani. Quae quo melius intelligantur, litteras tum suas, tum Celerini et Luciani transmittendas curat Cyprianus.

I. Cyprianus presbyteris et diaconibus Romae consistentibus fratribus salutem. Post factas ad vos litteras, fratres charissimi, quibus actus noster expositus et disciplinae ac diligentiae quantulacumque ratio declarata est, aliud accessit quod nec ipsum latere vos debuit. Nam frater noster Lucianus, et ipse unus de confessoribus, fide quidem calidus et virtute robustus, sed minus Dominica lectione fundatus, quaedam conatus est, imperiti jampridem se vulgi auctorem 0283A constituens, ut manu ejus scripti libelli gregatim multis nomine Pauli darentur, cum Mappalicus martyr cautus et verecundus, legis ac disciplinae memor, nullas contra Evangelium litteras fecerit, sed tantum domestica pietate commotus matri suae, quae lapsa fuerat , mandaverit pacem dari; Saturninus quoque post tormenta adhuc in carcere constitutus nullas ejusmodi litteras emiserit. Lucianus vero, non tantum Paulo adhuc in carcere posito nomine illius libellos manu sua scriptos passim dedit, sed et post ejus excessum eadem facere sub ejus nomine perseveravit dicens hoc sibi ab illo mandatum , ne sciens domino magis quam conservo obtemperandum. 0284A Aurelii quoque adolescentis tormenta perpessi nomine libelli multi dati sunt ejusdem Luciani manu scripti, quod litteras ille non nosset.

II. Cui rei ut aliquatenus posset obsisti, litteras ad eos feci, quas ad vos sub epistola priore transmisi, quibus petere et suadere non destiti ut dominicae legis et Evangelii ratio teneretur. Postquam vero ad eos litteras misi, ut quasi moderatius aliquid et temperantius fieret, universorum confessorum nomine , idem Lucianus epistolam scripsit, qua pene omne vinculum fidei et timor Dei et mandatum Domini et Evangelii sanctitas et firmitas solveretur. Scripsit enim omnium nomine universis eos pacem dedisse et hanc formam 0285A per me aliis episcopis innotescere velle, cujus epistolae exemplum ad vos transmisi. Additum est plane, de quibus ratio constiterit quid post commissum egerint. Quae res majorem nobis conflat invidiam, ut nos cum singulorum causas audire et excutere coeperimus, videamur multis negare quod se nunc omnes jactant a martyribus et confessoribus accepisse.

III. Denique hujus seditionis origo jam coepit. Namque in provincia nostra per aliquot civitates in praepositos impetus per multitudinem factus est, et pacem, quam semel cuncti a martyribus et confessoribus datam clamitabant, confestim sibi repraesentari coegerunt, territis et subactis praepositis suis, qui ad resistendum minus virtute animi et robore fidei praevalebant. Apud nos etiam quidam turbulenti, 0285B qui vix a nobis in praeteritum regebantur et in nostram praesentiam differebantur, per hanc epistolam velut quibusdam facibus accensi, plus exardescere et pacem sibi datam extorquere coeperunt. De quibus quales ad clerum nostrum litteras fecerim, exemplum vobis misi. Sed et quid mihi Caldonius collega pro integritate et fide sua scripserit, quidque ego ei rescripserim, utrumque ad vos legendum transmisi. Exempla quoque epistolae Celerini boni et robusti confessoris, quam ad Lucianum eumdem confessorem scripserit, item quid Lucianus ei rescripserit, misi vobis, ut sciretis et laborem circa omnia et diligentiam nostram, et veritatem ipsam disceretis, Celerinus confessor quam sit moderatus et cautus, et humilitate ac timore sectae nostrae verecundus, Lucianus 0285C vero circa intelligentiam Dominicae lectionis, ut dixi, minus peritus , et circa invidiam verecundiae nostrae relinquendam facilitate sua molestus. Nam, cum Dominus dixerit in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti gentes tingui (Matth. XXVIII, 19) et in Baptismo praeterita peccata dimitti (Joan. III, 5), hic, praecepti et legis ignarus, mandat pacem dari et 0286A peccata dimitti in Pauli nomine, et hoc sibi dicit ab illo esse mandatum, sicut in litteris ejusdem Luciani ad Celerinum factis animadvertetis: quibus minime consideravit quod non martyres Evangelium faciant, sed per Evangelium martyres fiant; quando et Paulus apostolus, quem Dominus vas electionis suae dixit (Act. IX, 15), posuerit in Epistola sua dicens: Miror quod sic tam cito demutamini ab eo qui vos vocavit in gratiam, ad aliud evangelium; quod non est aliud: nisi si sunt aliqui qui vos turbant et volunt convertere Evangelium Christi. Sed, licet nos aut Angelus de coelo aliter adnuntiet praeterquam quodadnuntiavimus vobis, anathema sit: sicut praediximus, et nunc iterum dico, si quis vobis adnuntiaverit praeterquam quod accepistis, anathema sit (Gal. I, 6, 8).

0286B IV. Opportune vero supervenerunt litterae vestrae, quas accepi, ad clerum factas, item quas beati confessores Moyses et Maximus, Nicostratus et caeteri Saturnino et Aurelio et caeteris miserunt, in quibus Evangelii plenus vigor et disciplina robusta legis Dominicae continentur. Laborantes hic nos et contra invidiae impetum totis fidei viribus resistentes multum sermo vester adjuvit ut divinitus compendium fieret, et priusquam venirent ad vos litterae quas vobis proxime misi, ut declararetis nobis quod secundum Evangelii legem nobiscum fortiter atque unanimiter etiam vestra sententia concurrat. Opto vos, fratres charissimi ac desiderantissimi , semper bene valere.